IMPUNITY has no place in the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang reiterated on Thursday, March 11.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after the United Nations condemned the killing of nine activists in the Calabarzon region by state forces targeting suspected insurgents.
“Sa UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at iba pang human rights groups, walang lugar ang impunity sa administrasyong Duterte (To the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other human rights groups, impunity has no place in the Duterte administration),” he said.
“Mananagot ang sinuman na lumabag sa batas at mapaparusahan sa ilalim ng ating batas (Anyone who violated the law will be held accountable and will be punished under our laws),” he added.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on Tuesday, March 9 said that the UN is “appalled by the apparently arbitrary killing of nine activists in simultaneous police-military operations in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces surrounding Metro Manila.”
She also expressed concern over the crackdown further promoting violence and “red-tagging” against human rights defenders.
“We are deeply worried that these latest killings indicate an escalation in violence, intimidation, harassment and ‘red-tagging’ of human rights defenders,” said Shamdasani.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) reminded the Philippine government of its commitment to ensuring accountability for human rights violators.
“Reports on the use of excessive force against unarmed individuals and alleged irregularities in the law enforcement operations have raised concerns,” it said Tuesday, March 9.
“We recall the commitment undertaken by the Philippines at the Human Rights Council to ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses, in accordance with due process under national courts of law and in full compliance with its international human rights obligations,” it added.
In response, Roque appealed to the EU to give the Philippines the chance to get to the bottom of the incident in Calabarzon.
“I ask the European Union, please give the Philippines a chance to discharge its obligation to investigate, punish, and prosecute those who may have breached our domestic laws,” the spokesman said.
“We are undertaking and discharging the state obligation to investigate, prosecute, and punish,” he added.
Roque also assured that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will start using body cameras by April to allay fears over state forces being violent during police crackdowns.
“Naririyan na po ang mga body cams. Nagte-training na po tayo at inaasahan po natin magagamit na po ang mga body cams na ‘yan sa buwan ng Abril nang maiwasan po yung pagduda ng taongbayan kung ano talaga ang mga pangyayari pag mayroon pong napatay (The body cams are there. They’re training and we expect them to start using body cams in April to avoid doubts that the public may have when someone is killed),” he said.
“Ang body cam ay physical evidence at hindi po magsisinungaling ang physical evidence (Body cams are physical evidence and physical evidence won’t lie),” he added.
